Saturday, March 01, 2008

Into the Treasure Chest

You should have been there. You have have thought they were giving away a thousand dollars to the first 100 people that arrived. But no, what they were giving away was simply the privilege of a 45 minute head start before the crowds of book buyers arrived. (Some of these book buyers are people who scoop up hundreds of books at once and will go home and sell them on e-bay or something like that. They are not readers but business people. Not that a business person can't be a reader but...I digress).

I stood in line waiting for the door to open, feeling like I was being allowed entrance into a large treasure chest. An older couple of retirement age stood behind me chatting.

"Oh, what a cute little boy," she murmured to her silver haired husband as a youngster went running by them.

"You don't like little boys," he retorted. "You never wanted one." They talked about their grown daughter and her pregnancy. "Maybe she'll have a boy," he added as a concession.

"Oh I hope not!" she said vehemently. "That would be terrible!" This was the same woman who just thought a little boy passing by was cute. I was confused. So I inched a little closer. I heard her add,"Little boys grow up and they leave you.But daughters stay close to you forever."

So that's what is happening with my son and me. He's "leaving me"- physically, emotionally. He's dis-attaching. But Abby is staying close to me, close to my heart, her hand literally always in mine. Yet Alex is not trying to hurt me by dis-attaching. He's just doing what he has to- he's a man on a mission, and mothers don't generally appear on the scene of great missions of exploration and discovery.

We finally got into the room and people went crazy. Many kept boxes at their feet, throwing books into the box and then pushing it along as they filled it. I headed toward the Christian/Inspirational section, then went to Decorating/Crafts, then went to the room with all the fiction- loads of paperbacks and hardcovers of big name fiction authors and then all the romance publishers.

I filled my bag with about twenty different books. But as I went through them, just before I checked out, I discarded many. I had prayed earlier, as I drove to the Library Book Sale, "Lord, please show me the books that will speak to my heart, the books that will send a message from your heart to mine." I knew God could speak through fiction, through an intriguing or romantic story line. I also knew He speaks through the direct messages of non fiction, Bible Studies, deep theological expositions of the workings of God.

Here's what I wound up with at the end of it all: just four books. Four books that I am delighted to dig into. Four books that I know are somehow related to each other in the message God is sending me- even if they seem to talking about different things.

Oh dear....I only have sons...I've known and harbor the sentiments expressed by the women behind you in line, in the deep recesses of my consciousness....I guess the best I can do is to be a really swell mother-in-law and pray that helps to keep my sons close!

Hello Friends!

I'm a Wife, Mother, Writer and Speaker. I'm your next door neighbor and fellow traveller in this journey of Life. Candid, Practical, and Speaking straight to the heart, I hope to share insights that will change the course of your day...and the direction of your life. Because it's only Upwards from here!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I receive books free from the publisher.I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255